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Gunpowder Princess
Setting Gunpowder State – capital Roykeborg (Smoking City), also known as Gunpowder City. Akersvolden Leader: Ivar Story set somewhere in early 1800’s Norwegian culture of the Victorian Era Aristocracy held most of the economic and voting power. Upper class got money from inheritance and the church. Not a large bourgeoisie. Opera/ travelling circuses Courting often started at balls and it was common to try and find someone opposite to you. Couples often got to know each other through letters because they had to be chaperoned everywhere. Society was repressive towards showing true emotion, so it was common to use gloves, fans, parasols, flowers, and handkerchiefs to communicate nonverbally. War War became more expensive with the advent of the musket. It was easier to train people, however. Plate armor and cavalry became much less important. Possibility: The Gunpowder Wars began when the royal family discovered that the court magician had been manipulating military officials and issued a decree for the mass culling of all magicians. Possibility: Magicians are distinctive because of the marks on their bodies (most high ranking magicians have marks even on their faces). Magicians wear these with fierce pride and most would rather die than hide them. Akersvolden is a small city that was the victim of several bombings during the Gunpowder Wars. Siri’s earliest memories begin here. She grew up here with several other children, under the care of an old priest named Iver. He raised them all as though they were his own children, because all of them were essentially the only survivors of the bombings, having hidden in the catacombs of Akerskirke, the church and largest building of the town. Only the children lived because they were the only ones that believed the priest’s predictions? Religions Maybe Akersvolden was founded by members of a religion that fled the secularism of the large cities. If Siri was raised in a religion that valued simplicity, it would make sense that she would hate being princess. OR perhaps the royal family is truly ruthless and resented the growing power of the bishop/archpriest etc. and drove them away. Misc The children decide to make a journey across the mountains to Roykeborg... Figure out why They happen to cross the Chamberlain running errands for the royal family and he is fascinated with Siri, commenting on her exceptionally light hair (most people have brownish or reddish hair). He grows more insistent, until he orders a guard to seize her and has her taken to the castle. At the castle, the Chamberlain has Siri’s scarf taken and tells the guards excitedly that this girl really is her, it is the princess. Look at the birthmark on the back of her neck! He orders the servants to bathe her and give her fine clothes before bringing her before the queen. The queen is overjoyed and begins making arrangements for Siri’s new place in the court, sending for an etiquette teacher, a tailor, etc. She explains that Siri’s nurse had been instructed to take Siri to a safe place outside the borders of the Gunpowder State (where?) when the wars began, but had returned empty-handed (maybe some of the story revolves around Siri trying to find the nurse/ what happened?). Roykeborg had been mourning her loss ever since. Only a few days later, the queen informs Siri that her betrothal to Prince Lilletyr “Tyv” Erlsson (“Tyv” meaning thief, “Erlsson” meaning earl’s son OR fae’s son) has been reinstated. Siri finds Tyv to be pompous and droll, and despises nearly everything about her new life. However, a few nights later, she is solicited by a masked magician named Ole… (brilliant idea Ole says he can make the birthmark disappear BUT it would mean that she would have to present herself as a magician and tell them all she’d just been pretending, then she would have to rely on him to spring her from prison. She decides to try to betray him instead?) ' ' '' - Siri thought that magicians didn’t exist anymore before Ole reveals himself but finding out your lover was a powerful magician impersonating a prince to gain favor and rank is not exactly trust-promoting She could just sort of announce that he was a magician Here are the options: a. she could do that and they could completely ignore her and then she would be in trouble with Ole b. she could do that and they would eventually believe her after she gives them proof but by that point Ole could have escaped c. she could come up with a better way of unveiling him on the spot and then he would be captured and all sorts of bad juju would ensue that would give her the best chance to escape after like she tries to rat him out and then he's like nuh uh after all he's an amazing liar A possible ending of that type would be for her to get closer and closer to him, make amends and forge a romance, then have him discovered in the end and killed for his race. And in the end the magical blood dies out entirely in their world. To make it especially tragic, the good it could have done if it survived should be clearly shown beforehand, just to say "this is what this hatred took from the world." If you prefer bittersweet, then perhaps have her carry his legacy on in some way. Is any of that helpful at all? ((maybe the queen is also a magician?))